Going Gaga

Lady Gaga Will Act in and Write New Music for Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born Remake

Following up on a tantalizing rumor from earlier this summer, Warner Bros. has made it official. Lady Gaga will play the titular celestial body in Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut: A Star Is Born. The singer will be pulling double duty both acting and composing new music for the film. Meanwhile, Cooper will not only direct, he will also star opposite Gaga in the remake of the classic Hollywood tale that originally starred Judy Garland, in 1954, and Barbra Streisand, in 1976. Those versions earned Garland an Oscar nomination for best actress and Streisand an Oscar win for best original song. Could Gaga be one step closer to an EGOT?

Coming off a couple of rockyweeks, Warner Bros. announced the big Gaga news via a gushing statement:

For those of us lucky enough to watch him work as an actor and
producer, it has been clear that Bradley would make this transition to
director. We are honored that he is doing it, here, at his home—Warner
Bros.—and with Lady Gaga as a collaborator and co-star. The world is
in for a treat as these great artists craft an all new vision of A
Star is Born.

In a role originally offered to Beyoncé, Gaga will play a musical ingenue whose star is on the rise just as her mentor (played by Cooper) declines into obscurity. Gaga, who came quite close to winning an Oscar last year for “Til It Happens to You,” from the documentary The Hunting Ground, will have the perfect showcase for another powerful, awards-friendly song. Here’s a taste of Streisand’s award-winning tune, “Evergreen.”

Deadline reports that Gaga was at the top of Cooper’s wish list after Beyoncé bowed out and that Cooper “won over Warner Bros brass with a chemistry test that the studio loved.” Gaga already has several Grammys and an acting Golden Globe under her belt. It feels inevitable that an Oscar will join her crowded awards shelf soon.